Progressive Slots Guide

Progressive slots are the perfect choice for anyone who’s after that payout of a lifetime. While at first glance they might seem just like any other slot game, progressive slots come with one exceptional feature – their huge jackpots.

Rather than being a standalone slot game with a single maximum payout amount, progressive slots are linked across a network of casinos and the jackpot is pooled between them. Each time a player makes a wager on a progressive slot game, a portion of that bet is added to the joint jackpot, so it just keeps on rising. Eventually one lucky winner will trigger the jackpot and walk off with the lot.

Top casinos for playing progressive slots

If you’re keen to get started playing progressive slots, here are our top recommended progressive slots casinos. You can find the best range of progressive slot games and some great bonuses at any one of these casinos:

Main jackpots (by software provider)

Each of the main software providers has a number of progressive jackpot slots on offer. Here are the most popular games from two of the top online slots developers:

Microgaming: Microgaming’s range of progressive slots is absolutely legendary and they boast the largest progressive jackpots you’ll find anywhere in the world. The most popular Microgaming progressive jackpot is Mega Moolah, followed closely by Major Millions and King Cashalot.

Playtech: Playtech also has its fair share of progressive jackpot games including Gladiator, Gold Rally and Beach Life. While you won’t find these games alongside the Microgaming progressives at most online casinos, they are well worth keeping an eye out for thanks to their six figure jackpots and regular payouts.

Examples of progressive slot games

Some of the top progressive slot games regularly pay out wins in the multiples of millions. For example, Mega Moolah from Microgaming pays out an average of £5,246,277 each time and the average payout time is around 10 weeks. You can learn more about Mega Moolah in our detailed game review.

Another popular progressive from Microgaming is King Cashalot. This game, which you can read more about in our in depth review, regularly pays out around £1.1 million although the payout frequency is somewhat lower than Mega Moolah, averaging out at around one year between payouts.

If you’re looking for a good Playtech progressive to try, Beach Life is a good bet. This progressive game pays out around £2.2 million each time with a rough timeframe of around six months between payouts. Find out more about Beach Life in our game review.

Tips for Progressive Slots

Slots are a game of chance so there’s no system or strategy that’s really going to make a difference to your chances of winning. While you might not be able to game the system, there are a few things you can do to increase your enjoyment and maximise your chances of getting a good payout.

1. Look for a jackpot that hasn’t paid out in a while: The longer it’s been since a game last paid out, the bigger the eventual payout will be. If you want to get the best possible win, choose a game that’s ready to burst. While it’s impossible to predict when a game will pay out, if it’s been a while it might just be due.

2. Play a game you enjoy: If you’re going to be in for a chance at the big jackpot chances are you’re going to have to put in a decent amount of time and effort. Don’t spend hours playing a game you hate just for the sake of the jackpot. If you play a game you enjoy you’re going to have a much better experience all round, even if you never hit the big one.

3. Don’t use auto-play: When you’re playing progressive games it’s a good idea to keep track of your progress. Many progressive games involve bonus rounds and other features to trigger the main jackpot – by keeping an eye on what is happening you’ll be able to jump on the opportunities when they occur and take control of the experience.

Mobile progressive slots

With the rapid growth in mobile casinos, there’s no need to miss out on your favourite progressive slots even when you’re away from your computer. You can find a great range of mobile progressives at most casinos, with the majority of mobile casino sites featuring at least one on their mobile app.

Mobile progressives are fun and exciting and in recent times there have been some major wins from mobile players. You can check out the top mobile progressive slots here:

Progressive slots explained

Progressive slots are generally very easy to play but here’s a quick run through if you’re just getting started:

1. How to play: Progressive slots are just like a standard video slot game. You have to place a bet and then click to spin the reels. The reels will start spinning around and you decide when to stop. Depending on the combination of symbols that are showing when you stop spinning the reels, you will receive a payout, go on to a bonus round or lose and try again.

2. How they work: With most progressive slot games a percentage of each player’s wager going into a central jackpot. This is pooled not only for each individual casino but combined between multiple casinos, which is why the jackpots can get so large. For most progressive slots there is a special bonus round that you need to play and win to get the big payout. This is activated when you land a certain combination of symbols during a normal round. Because each game is different, always check the paytables for each game before you start playing.

3. Max bet: It’s worth noting that in most cases if you’re going to be in with a shot at the big win you will need to bet the maximum number of paylines. For most progressives this is made easy by hitting the Max Bet button. If you prefer to bet less you can manually choose the number of paylines you bet on and the coin size per bet, but this may mean you won’t in for a chance at the big jackpot. Most progressive games have a bonus round that needs to be activated for you to win the main jackpot and this is usually activated by getting a certain symbol or combination of symbols on a specific payline. Unless you bet on all the paylines you won’t be able to activate this feature.

Summary

Progressive slots are a must try for slots lovers. Who could turn down the chance of a life-changing jackpot? With so many different progressives to choose from you’re sure to find a game that suits you. Take a look at our recommended progressive slots casinos to get started.